site.btaFire Department Monitors Fires around Country via European Forest Fire Information System Daily, Interior Minister Says

Interior Minister Daniel Mitov responded in writing to a question from MP Lyuben Ivanov of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria, saying that “the National Operations Centre at the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection staff monitor satellite data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) in real time to track forest and field fires, thereby providing additional information about them, such as geographical location, hourly temperature irregularities showing the expansion of the fire, satellite data on the areas destroyed.” The written answer was handed on Monday and published on the National Assembly's website on Wednesday.

The Minister's response also states that the system allows for the assessment of the fire hazard index, long-term monthly forecasts for temperature and precipitation irregularities in the country, statistical data, and news related to the operational situation in European Union and other countries. "The information is valuable in that it achieves optimal coordination of the forces and resources of the General Directorate when dealing with large-scale and complex incidents."

“Every day, the National Operations Centre sends information on the expected meteorological and hydrological forecast and the fire hazard index to the operations centres in Sofia and the Regional Fire Safety and Civil Protection Directorates. In the event of expected potentially dangerous meteorological and hydrological phenomena, specific instructions are prepared and sent to the territorial units of the General Directorate, the Interior Ministry's Regional Directorates and the district governors, in accordance with their obligations, regulated by the Disaster Protection Act,” Mitov said in the answer.

The Minister added that in case of operational necessity, the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection, as the national contact point, activates the Copernicus system, the European Earth observation programme used for monitoring the planet and environment for the benefit of Europe's citizens. “Over the past two years, there have been several requests for mapping, monitoring and data collection on large and complex fires in the regions of Blagoevgrad, Yambol, Plovdiv, and Pernik. The information collected from satellite monitoring and mapping is public and gives interested parties access to the full volume of data, which can be used even after the incident has been resolved to assess the damage and material losses,” Mitov said.